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: clip · pit · foot · ground · wave · sharp

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — a hole
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ground — crushed
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut

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