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 124 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 propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. clip — for paper
  4. staff — a stick
  5. squash — to crush
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — a video
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — bread
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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