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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. clip — a video
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — size or range
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. staff — a stick
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — in music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spell — a short time
  24. scale — for weighing

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