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: row · wave · bore · clip · mark · key · wind · pitch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. row — a line
  11. clip — for paper
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. clip — a video
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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