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: face · court · wave · bank · mouse · ball · net · track

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. net — after costs
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to point toward
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of a king
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. court — of law

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