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: clip · bore · rule · mug · bank · march · calf · rash

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — to rob
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — government
  9. mug — a face
  10. bank — for money
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bore — to drill
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — the month
  22. clip — a video
  23. bank — of a river
  24. calf — of the leg

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