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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — the fish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — a series

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