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 · board · safe · wake · last · current · foot

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — final
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — electric
  8. board — to get on
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — happening now
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — to go on
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  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