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: bay · leaves · clip · file · firm · racket · rule · lean

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — decided
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. clip — a video
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — thin
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. firm — a company
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lean — to rest against

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