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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — magic
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fine — high quality
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. clip — a video

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