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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pop — to visit
  12. net — after costs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — the earth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — a supporter

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