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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — shares
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a music group
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — certain
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — farmland
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cell — a phone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a ring
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — goods
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. band — a rubber band

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