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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — temperature
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. object — an aim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pop — music
  23. object — to protest
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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