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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — hurry
  5. clip — a video
  6. mate — a friend
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mug — a face
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — a line
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a partner

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