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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. clip — a video
  23. perch — the fish
  24. march — the month

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