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: hand · cap · deal · clip · bound · stand · mug · nail

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — a video
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bound — certain
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — tied together
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hand — part of the body

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