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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. field — for sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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