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 120 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: key · saw · last · kick · bark · clip · safe · patient

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — in music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — final
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — the most important part
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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