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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — a thing
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bound — certain
  14. club — a group
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bound — tied together
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. file — a document

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