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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chest — a box
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to click
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — to cut
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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