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 · tube · patient · object · wake · shower · board · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — a container
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — a thing
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — with your hand

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