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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — a match
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — to protest
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — in sport

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