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: mouse · bay · spring · leaves · present · wave · roll · foot

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — a list
  22. spring — of water
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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