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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hand — part of the body

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