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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — a video
  6. land — a country
  7. cold — not warm
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — an illness
  11. board — a committee
  12. clip — for paper
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. snap — to click
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — ground
  24. clip — to cut

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