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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. row — to paddle
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a line
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a song
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — to rob
  17. clip — for paper
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a path
  23. clip — to cut
  24. shower — rain

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