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: safe · wave · fall · capital · mark · scale · stick · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. capital — money
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — size or range
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — the season

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