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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. clip — a video
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — the earth
  8. clip — for paper
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. row — to paddle
  13. present — there
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — final
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — a position
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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