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 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — for paper
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. firm — a company
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitch — completely

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