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: staff · squash · clip · mouse · race · cap · lash · drill

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a hat
  3. clip — to cut
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — humankind
  9. clip — a video
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — to crush
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — a lid
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mouse — the animal

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