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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. squash — to crush
  3. snap — to click
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — to cut
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a word
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — the cause
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — for light

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