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: wake · fan · deal · staff · ball · branch · wave · lean

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — thin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — a division
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ball — a great time
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — a trail
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fan — to cool the air

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