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: wave · saw · coach · mate · stick · stand · spring · face

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spring — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. face — to confront
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — part of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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