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 120 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 · land · bore · deal · saw · coach · bound · season

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — a country
  8. season — in sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — to handle

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