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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. file — a line of people
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — to be able to
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — an untruth

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