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: bound · kick · bulb · shower · saw · lean · squash · clip

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. kick — in football
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — tied together
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — the sport
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lean — to bend

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