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: ruler · saw · ground · clip · hand · current · mate · lie

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — of water

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