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: ground · wave · land · bear · snap · suit · dip · toast

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — bread
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. suit — clothes
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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