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: toast · row · spell · clip · arm · fall · stick · can

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. spell — magic
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spell — a short time
  11. toast — bread
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — to paddle
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a quarrel

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