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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pop — music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — hurry
  7. clip — for paper
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — soda
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — a video
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — to hit hard

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