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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — happy
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — the season
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bass — the fish

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