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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. clip — a video
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — to succeed

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