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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rest — a break
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — to handle
  10. perch — the fish
  11. clip — a video
  12. squash — the sport
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — to crush

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