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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. hand — help
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lean — thin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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