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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — in sport
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — a division
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — after costs
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — a contest
  20. net — for catching
  21. toast — bread
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a round shape

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