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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a dance
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — shares
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. band — a ring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a music group
  24. spring — of water

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