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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — the season
  9. deal — to handle
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — for paper
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — a video
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — of a tree

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