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 · tear · cabinet · fork · wave · rest · chair · current

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — in a road
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rest — what's left

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