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: suit · clip · can · saw · deal · face · pitcher · bound

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bound — certain
  22. deal — to handle
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — a tin

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