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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. last — finally
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a face
  7. can — to be able to
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — final
  11. mug — to rob
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. clip — for paper
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  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