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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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