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: object · staff · file · fine · board · mug · ball · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — all right
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. clip — a video
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a document
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — a committee
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — a thing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. object — an aim
  22. clip — for paper
  23. file — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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