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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tear — to rip
  4. present — a gift
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — for paper
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — in football
  17. present — there
  18. rock — music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — to cut
  24. present — the time now

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