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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — hasty
  13. clip — a video
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — army training
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. clip — to cut
  24. drill — a practice

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