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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — employees
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — shares
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — in biology

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