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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — crushed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. net — in sport
  7. bound — obliged
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stock — goods
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — a position
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. clip — a video
  16. stock — shares
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ground — the earth
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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