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

Word bank: current · spell · bowl · leaves · tear · ball · wave · clip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — of water
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — for paper
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — magic
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a great time

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