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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — low music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. scale — in music
  14. clip — a video
  15. spell — letters
  16. land — ground
  17. bass — the fish
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — to come down
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stand — for spectators

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