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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like 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. wake — a trail
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — rain
  12. clip — a video
  13. can — to be able to
  14. kid — child
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — the cause
  17. clip — for paper
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. club — for dancing
  20. shower — to wash
  21. root — of a word
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kid — to tease
  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