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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. clip — to cut
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fan — a supporter

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