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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — of a word
  14. season — in sport
  15. clip — to cut
  16. board — a committee
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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