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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. key — for a lock
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — in music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — a series
  17. squash — the sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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