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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mug — a face
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fine — all right
  24. clip — a video

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