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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — to cut
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mug — a face
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — low music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. clip — a video
  22. tear — from crying
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — a cup

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