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 · ground · content · fan · arm · rock · rule · bass

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. content — happy
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ground — the earth

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