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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — a video
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — final
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — finally
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. last — to go on

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