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 120 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 · kick · mouse · stand · cabinet · spring · spell · net

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spell — letters
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — in football
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — the season
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — of the sea

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