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 120 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: mark · perch · row · clip · lean · hide · last · cue

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — to paddle
  4. clip — a video
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — finally
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — to go on
  20. clip — to cut
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — the fish

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