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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — rain
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — of a word
  10. pop — soda
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — of the sea

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