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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. net — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ball — a great time

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