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: tear · lean · race · pitcher · squash · ruler · hide · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — humankind
  5. squash — the sport
  6. race — the arms race
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — a contest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — to cut
  24. tear — to rip

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