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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. clip — for paper
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — to rob
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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