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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — to cut
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — steady
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — of the year
  20. firm — a company
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fork — to eat with

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