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: content · wound · present · tube · racket · wave · face · spell

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wound — an injury
  3. content — happy
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — the amount
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. present — there
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. spell — letters

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