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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — a subject
  3. clip — a video
  4. mark — a grade
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. clip — to cut
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rash — a series
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — a stone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. snap — to click
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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