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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — to go on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — finally
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. last — final
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — crushed
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. clip — a video
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. can — to be able to
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bore — gave birth

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