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: dip · mine · bore · board · straw · jam · clip · season

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. season — of the year
  3. clip — a video
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — to cut
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mine — for digging
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bore — to tire

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