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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. clip — for paper
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fine — high quality
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tube — a container
  17. suit — clothes
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. clip — a video
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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