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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hand — help
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — a video
  21. drill — army training
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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