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: sharp · saw · temple · march · wave · drill · pitcher · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. march — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. drill — army training
  15. content — the amount
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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