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: ball · pass · spring · squash · wave · spell · bay · content

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. squash — to crush
  3. content — happy
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — a permit

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