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: drill · wound · snap · nail · tear · pitch · track · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — army training
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitch — a sports field

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