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 116 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 · stand · bark · cap · race · wave

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bark — to shout
  10. clip — for paper
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — of ice
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. clip — a video
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. race — a contest

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