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 120 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: present · rock · tear · bark · wave · sharp · firm · march

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tear — from crying
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — there
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. firm — steady
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — music
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — a company

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