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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — a video
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. clip — to cut
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — an explosive

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