ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — in football
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — of water
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com