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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — to cut
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — to be able to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. chest — a box
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — a video
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — in control
  22. can — a tin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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