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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — for paper
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — of law
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. object — to protest
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of a king
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. clip — a video
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — the tool

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