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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · clip · lash · bore · bound · plane · swing · rock

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. clip — a video
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to tire
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. swing — music

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