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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — finally
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — in football
  13. sharp — clever
  14. clip — a video
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. clip — to cut
  19. last — final
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — the underground

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