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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. clip — a video
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — to cut
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — in sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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