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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — a box
  10. kid — to tease
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — child

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