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: sharp · leaves · patient · clip · spell · calf · bear · last

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. last — to go on
  3. clip — a video
  4. sharp — clever
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — letters
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. last — final
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. clip — for paper
  21. last — finally
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spell — magic
  24. sharp — exactly

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