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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — a video
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. clip — to cut
  8. degree — temperature
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. clip — for paper
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — crushed
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ground — the earth

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