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: key · game · mate · race · last · bat · suit · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. key — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. last — final
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. key — for a lock
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a friend
  10. last — finally
  11. key — the most important part
  12. last — to go on
  13. race — humankind
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mate — to breed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mate — a partner

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