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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a great time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wind — moving air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. spell — letters

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