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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — soda
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — for digging
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bowl — to roll

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