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 · row · saw · snap · capital · content · ball · craft

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a great time
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — boats
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. row — to paddle
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. craft — a skill

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