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: spring · squash · racket · fall · bass · wake · temple · staff

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bass — low music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fall — the season
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. squash — the sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — a trail

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