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: net · club · pitcher · wave · ground · wake · hand · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — help
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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