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: rock · capital · wave · last · mine · arm · pass · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pass — a permit
  4. last — final
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — finally
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a city
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rock — music
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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