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: clip · bound · rash · trunk · cap · patient · content · foot

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rash — a series
  5. content — the amount
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — happy
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — hasty
  18. foot — a measure
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a hat

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