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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — to come from
  4. game — wild animals
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. clip — a video
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — a match
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — part of the body

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