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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — money
  3. march — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. march — the month
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mate — to breed
  12. capital — a city
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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