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: wave · calf · mine · content · ball · rush · clip · ruler

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ball — a dance
  18. content — happy
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — a monarch

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