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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. race — humankind
  6. court — for sport
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. race — a contest
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. last — final
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. court — of a king
  21. last — to go on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chip — for betting

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