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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — a video
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — in music

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