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: wave · pound · last · fan · root · leaves · jam · mouse

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. last — final
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. last — to go on
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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