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: land · wave · nail · coach · kick · clip · wake · board

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. clip — for paper
  6. kick — in football
  7. board — to get on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. clip — a video
  16. board — a committee
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — to come down
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wake — a trail

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