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: cabinet · saw · hide · clip · charge · lie · perch · snap

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — the fish
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — a video
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — in control
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to click

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