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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — for paper
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — to cut
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the fish

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