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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — the amount
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. clip — a video
  24. content — happy

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