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 · tube · bound · game · foot · ground · bay · arm

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — crushed

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