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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — a video
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — there
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of law
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. spell — letters

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