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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — in music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — for catching
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — of the sea

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