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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. season — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ruler — for measuring

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