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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. clip — to cut
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. track — to keep track
  23. clip — a video
  24. stand — to bear

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