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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. clip — a video
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — a publisher
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — music
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. swing — in golf

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