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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — to cut
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fall — the season
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — a video
  18. pass — a permit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to click
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — to succeed

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