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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — happening now
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fork — in a road
  8. current — electric
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — of water
  12. object — a thing
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — to put up with

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