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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. object — a thing
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — to protest
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — a match
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — letters
  16. clip — a video
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — in a tire

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