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: clip · chair · leaves · fine · tube · pop · face · mate

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. clip — a video
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pop — soda
  12. mate — a partner
  13. clip — for paper
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — of a tree

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