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: stem · squash · clip · hide · spell · drill · content · temple

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — a practice
  3. clip — to cut
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — to crush
  12. content — happy
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — a video
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — the amount
  18. spell — a short time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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