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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — for paper
  3. plane — a tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kid — child
  8. mug — a face
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. clip — a video
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — a series
  20. suit — to fit
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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