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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pop — soda
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — the most important part

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