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: bass · wound · wave · fine · bound · saw · bark · mine

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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