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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — electric
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. present — there
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. press — to push
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. present — the time now
  19. roll — a list
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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