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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. firm — decided
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — a video
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. clip — for paper
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — in control
  18. clip — to cut
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — a company
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — of water

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