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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rock — a stone

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