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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stock — shares
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — for paper
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — a video
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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