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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — hurry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a document
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mate — a friend
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — of a plant

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