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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — a lid
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. face — to confront
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — music
  20. clip — a video
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wind — to turn a key

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