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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ground — a position
  4. clip — a video
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. bound — certain
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to drill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — for dancing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bore — to tire
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — for paper

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