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: wave · cap · net · roll · ground · spell · cell · nail

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — a list
  4. ground — a position
  5. net — in sport
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — magic
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. roll — on a roll

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