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 120 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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — for paper
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. clip — a video
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — the tool

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