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: fan · racket · club · wave · court · clip · ball · staff

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — of law
  9. clip — to cut
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — a stick
  13. club — for golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. court — of a king
  16. club — for dancing
  17. clip — a video
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — for paper
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  24. ball — a great time

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