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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — help
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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