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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cell — in biology
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ground — a position
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — for tennis

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