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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. can — to be able to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — a loud noise

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