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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. clip — to cut
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — all right
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — high quality

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