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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chair — a leader
  9. clip — a video
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a skill

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