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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · kick · squash · march · wave · hide

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — in football
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wave — with your hand

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