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: club · ball · root · nail · wave · track · face · wake

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. club — a group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — the cause
  17. face — to point toward
  18. track — a song
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. root — of a word
  24. wake — a trail

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