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 124 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bat — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pop — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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