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 · roll · march · safe · snap · field · bore · scale

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — music
  3. field — farmland
  4. bore — to drill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. march — the month
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. roll — a list
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a cake
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — a subject
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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