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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — to breed
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — letters
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a friend
  15. object — an aim
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mate — a partner
  23. object — to protest
  24. game — a match

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