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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. present — there
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pop — soda
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to click
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pop — to visit

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