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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — magic
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — a contest
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — a trail
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. ground — a position

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