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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bat — in an idiom

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