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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — low music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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