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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — completely
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wound — an injury
  19. can — to be able to
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wound — an injury

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