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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. object — a thing
  5. clip — a video
  6. mark — a grade
  7. capital — money
  8. object — to protest
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bore — to drill
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. capital — a city
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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