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 120 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: mine · ground · dip · squash · calf · clip · shower · patient

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. clip — for paper
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — for digging
  5. dip — to sink
  6. clip — a video
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. shower — rain
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. dip — to dunk

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