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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. clip — a video
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — in music
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — a cup

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