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: fall · ball · wave · bat · fan · lean · bay · present

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lean — thin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bat — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — a gift
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — for baseball

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