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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to drill
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — soda
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — to tire
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — to visit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. clip — a video
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pop — music
  23. court — of law
  24. clip — to cut

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