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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hand — help
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — soda
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pop — music

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