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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. object — an aim
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. object — a thing
  24. clip — a video

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