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 124 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. clip — a video
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — employees
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a skill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — boats

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