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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — in football
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. last — final
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — to go on
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — a skill
  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