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: wound · bulb · sharp · deal · lash · net · track · wave

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wave — of the sea

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