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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a great time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cap — of ice
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — a video
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. root — of a plant

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