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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — certain
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mate — a partner
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — to crush
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — tied together
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — to breed

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