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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — in sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. content — the amount
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. key — the most important part
  13. content — happy
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. net — for catching
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — after costs
  24. wave — with your hand

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