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

Word bank: pound · lash · fork · march · hide · wave

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — in a road
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin

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