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 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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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