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: game · row · cold · pit · pop · rash · wave · object

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. object — a thing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pop — soda
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. object — to protest
  15. pit — in a race
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. row — a line
  20. cold — not warm
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cold — an illness
  24. game — a match

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