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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — in sport
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. toast — bread
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. charge — in control
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — thin
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. clip — a video
  22. charge — electricity
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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