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: arm · ball · snap · spring · mark · pitcher · wave · march

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. march — music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spring — of water
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. arm — part of the body

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