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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — high quality
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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