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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — all right
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — in a road
  7. clip — a video
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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