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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — letters
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — a video
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — in cards

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