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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — after costs
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — with your hand

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