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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — of the year
  7. clip — a video
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — to crush
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — in sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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