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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. face — to confront
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — soda
  18. clip — to cut
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — the season

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