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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · safe · mug · tear · dip · spring · kid · clip

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. clip — to cut
  4. kid — child
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mug — a face
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kid — to tease
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. current — electric
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spring — a coil
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — a video
  24. mug — a cup

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