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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — a trail
  6. clip — for paper
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — government
  10. clip — to cut
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — a price
  18. object — an aim
  19. charge — in control
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. object — to protest
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. clip — a video

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