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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — obliged
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — certain
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — a video
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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