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: object · wake · clip · ruler · degree · wind · mug · lash

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — a video
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — to protest
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. object — an aim
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — a thing
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — an amount

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