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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · wave · object · cold · present · racket

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. object — a thing
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. present — there
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — a gift
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. object — an aim
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wave — of the sea

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