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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chest — of your body
  5. clip — a video
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chest — a box
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a hat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — of your body

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