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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. scale — size or range
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a match
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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