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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rest — a break
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a city

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