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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — humankind
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mug — a face
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — to tire
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mug — a cup
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. clip — a video
  21. bore — to drill
  22. race — a contest
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. racket — a loud noise

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