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: straw · wave · lean · ball · cue · game · bass · wind

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cue — for pool
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lean — thin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wind — moving air
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bass — low music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wind — moving air
  24. game — wild animals

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