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 · bulb · wave · pit · fork · rest · pound · lash

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pit — a hole
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — a video
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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