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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — a box
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rest — a break
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — help
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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