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: wind · court · object · root · band · last · wave · swing

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — of a king
  6. last — to go on
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. court — for sport
  13. last — final
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. swing — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. root — of a word
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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