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: clip · scale · wave · drill · wind · dip · pound · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. scale — in music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — to cut
  18. dip — to sink
  19. drill — army training
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. clip — a video
  24. dip — to dunk

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