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 116 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: leaves · lie · wave · last · mate · fine · object · land

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lie — to recline
  3. land — a country
  4. object — to protest
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — to come down
  8. last — final
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — finally

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