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: fork · bore · cell · clip · hide · hand · board · stick

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. board — to get on
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. clip — a video
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. board — a committee
  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