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: cap · tear · lie · wind · bear · wave · bound · bark

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — certain
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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