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 · stick · march · wave · present · scale · row · safe

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. present — a gift
  5. scale — size or range
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — to cut
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. present — there
  17. march — music
  18. clip — a video
  19. scale — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a line

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