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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — in sport
  3. hand — help
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. rest — a break
  19. bass — the fish
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — in the ear

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