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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — after costs
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — a leader
  7. firm — steady
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — a video
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — for catching

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