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: lash · ground · bound · racket · pitcher · ball · wind · tear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — a position
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — moving air

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