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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rest — a break
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — to play on
  24. drill — a practice

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