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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. clip — a video
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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