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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. season — in sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — boats
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — there
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. clip — to cut
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. clip — a video
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — a skill

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