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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. squash — to crush
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. capital — a city
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — all right
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. branch — a division
  14. track — a song
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a path
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. track — to keep track
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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