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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bound — tied together
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a line of people
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — certain
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — of water

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