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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a music group
  5. snap — to click
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — a video
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — all right
  17. clip — to cut
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. band — a ring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. clip — for paper
  24. kick — in football

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