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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. clip — a video
  4. hand — in cards
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — help
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — to cut
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — shares
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cap — of ice

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