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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — a video
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — farmland
  22. current — electric
  23. field — for sport
  24. drill — army training

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