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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. court — of a king
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — a song
  9. clip — a video
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bore — to tire
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a path
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — to keep track
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. court — of law

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