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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. clip — a video
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — size or range

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