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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. clip — for paper
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — for golf
  22. clip — a video
  23. stand — to bear
  24. dip — to dunk

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