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: leaves · wave · present · mine · key · chest · shower · object

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. key — for a lock
  3. present — there
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — the time now
  20. key — in music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. shower — rain
  24. object — an aim

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