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: racket · fan · kick · rock · snap · wave · land · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — a country
  3. snap — to click
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — to come down
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — a stone
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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