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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — to drill
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — certain
  8. clip — a video
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. season — in sport
  12. clip — to cut
  13. band — a music group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. season — of the year
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — for golf
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — a group

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