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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. snap — to click
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. board — to get on
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a match
  8. kid — child
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — a position
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — crushed

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