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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — help
  24. net — after costs

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