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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — thin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a signal
  11. root — the cause
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lean — to bend
  23. clip — a video
  24. root — of a word

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