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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — to tease
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kid — child
  12. press — newspapers
  13. club — for dancing
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mine — for digging
  16. club — for golf
  17. clip — to cut
  18. club — a group
  19. press — to push
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mouse — the animal

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