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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. clip — a video
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. object — to protest
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — to put up with

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