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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — clever
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. mark — a trace

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