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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spell — a short time
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — a video
  12. can — a tin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — a series
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spell — letters
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a document

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