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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — final
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — low music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ground — a position

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