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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — to cut
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. season — of the year
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — in sport
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. clip — a video
  20. charge — a price
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — army training
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wind — moving air

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