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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wake — a trail
  5. root — of a plant
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — of a word
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — to handle

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