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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — to confront
  20. race — a contest
  21. fork — in a road
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — a container

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