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 116 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: wave · bass · lean · mine · pop · ball · spring · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pop — music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pop — soda
  12. spring — a coil
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — of water
  19. bass — low music
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — an explosive

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