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

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. suit — to fit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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