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

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. press — to push
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. clip — a video
  10. key — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — a division
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mug — a cup
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a face
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. band — a music group
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — clever

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