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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. clip — to cut
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — electric
  5. spell — magic
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — letters
  9. present — there
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — for paper
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — of water
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — happening now
  23. present — the time now
  24. net — for catching

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