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: suit · saw · cold · ball · wave · wind · bark · racket

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — to fit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wave — of the sea

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