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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. last — to go on
  3. drill — army training
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — finally
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. clip — a video
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. last — final
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hide — to keep secret

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