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 124 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. charge — a price
  7. tear — to rip
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — to cut
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. clip — a video
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — in control
  20. tear — from crying
  21. face — part of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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