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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. clip — a video
  8. field — farmland
  9. clip — to cut
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. field — a subject
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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