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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — goods
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — a group
  8. stock — shares
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — in music
  13. club — for golf
  14. object — an aim
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cap — of ice

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