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: charge · clip · last · bore · rock · tear · hand · mark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — final
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — help
  24. charge — electricity

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