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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — to rip
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mine — for digging

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