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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. club — for golf
  7. court — of a king
  8. clip — for paper
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. court — of law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — soda
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. clip — a video
  23. pop — to visit
  24. club — a group

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