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: ball · wave · wound · fork · clip · nail · lash · mark

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mark — a grade

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