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: pit · mate · racket · bat · ruler · clip · wake · spring

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — to cut
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — a trail
  24. clip — a video

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