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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. clip — a video
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — to shout
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — to handle

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