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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. clip — a video
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — to eat

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