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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — a tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cold — not warm
  12. net — after costs
  13. craft — boats
  14. root — of a word
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. net — for catching
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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