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 · march · pound · mate · cabinet · club · bark · clip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. club — for golf
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pound — a weight
  17. club — a group
  18. march — the month
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. march — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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