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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. squash — to crush
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — a subject
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. field — farmland
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bank — for money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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