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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. clip — a video
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. club — a group
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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