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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — final
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — in music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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