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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. charge — a price
  5. rule — government
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — for paper
  8. last — to go on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — in music
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. clip — a video
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — all right
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — final
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — a penalty

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