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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — a face
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — of water
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — decided
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — the season

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