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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — low music
  12. race — humankind
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — wild animals
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. game — a match
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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