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 116 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: spell · chair · club · mouse · wave · net · object · stick

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — in sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — for golf
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. object — a thing
  14. net — for catching
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — magic
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — a group
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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