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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — a path
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a song
  9. tube — a container
  10. clip — a video
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fine — high quality
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — before a funeral

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