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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. clip — a video
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — there
  5. squash — the sport
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. degree — temperature
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — to cut
  20. present — the time now
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — a gift
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — a measure

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