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: mine · wave · suit · ball · clip · stem · pitcher · rush

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rush — hurry
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stem — to come from
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mine — for digging
  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