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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. clip — a video
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — an injury

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