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: game · club · rush · ball · hide · tube · wave · sharp

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a great time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — the underground
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — to hurry

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