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: temple · mug · clip · cue · staff · kid · deal · trunk

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — a video
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. staff — a stick
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — a signal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — a face
  22. staff — employees
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — child

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