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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. sharp — clever
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. ground — a position
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. clip — a video
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — to shout
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — there

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