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: wave · dip · sharp · roll · shower · field · scale · bound

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. shower — to wash
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. field — farmland
  10. scale — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. shower — rain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. field — for sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. roll — a list
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bound — tied together
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — clever
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. sharp — exactly

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