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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — humankind
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. race — a contest
  13. band — a music group
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pop — to visit
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a friend
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — a hole

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