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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — a video
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pop — soda
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — newspapers
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. net — in sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. net — after costs
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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