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: clip · bulb · stem · stick · scale · cue · mouse · court

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — of a king
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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