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: mug · tear · sharp · staff · clip · calf · chair · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — a cup
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. clip — to cut
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mug — to rob
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tear — to rip
  15. staff — employees
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a face
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. chair — a professorship

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