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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fine — all right
  3. club — for dancing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. club — a group
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for golf
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. game — a match
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — a young animal

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