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: pitcher · mate · stick · shower · fall · wave · wake · staff

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wake — a trail
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a partner
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — employees
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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