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 116 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. clip — to cut
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — a video
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pop — music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — to shout

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