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: present · clip · trunk · stand · spell · object · pound · pitcher

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — a weight
  8. present — the time now
  9. clip — to cut
  10. object — a thing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — to protest
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. present — a gift

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