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: wound · tear · roll · court · wave · bound · tube · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. roll — a list
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bound — certain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — for sport
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — of law
  16. tube — a container
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tube — the underground
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tube — in a tire

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