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: wake · bowl · object · fall · ball · squash · kick · wind

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fall — the season
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. object — a thing
  24. kick — in football

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