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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. clip — to cut
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — a thing
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — an aim

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