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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. foot — a measure
  6. last — final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. cold — not warm
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. last — to go on
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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