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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. charge — a price
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. clip — to cut
  12. shower — rain
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ground — a position
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — to keep secret

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