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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tube — a container
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ground — crushed
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ground — a position
  14. squash — the sport
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — for catching
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — the earth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — in sport

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