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's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — to cut
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — a video
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bark — to shout
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — with an edge

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