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: fan · content · mug · bear · root · clip · rush · cap

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — a face
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — hurry
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bear — 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