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 · mine · kid · temple · march · foot · spell · snap

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kid — to tease
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to click
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. mine — for digging
  11. march — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kid — child
  20. spell — a short time
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. foot — a measure
  24. temple — a place of worship

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