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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. clip — to cut
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. staff — employees
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. clip — for paper
  23. staff — a stick
  24. safe — a strongbox

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