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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chest — of your body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cap — a lid
  12. roll — a list
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — of ice
  18. face — part of the head
  19. clip — to cut
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chest — a box
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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