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: bay · cell · root · hand · stick · wave · ball · temple

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. root — of a word
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — the cause
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — side of the head

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