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: bore · staff · clip · court · row · firm · tube · bark

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — a video
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. court — of law
  8. firm — decided
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. row — a line
  13. bark — to shout
  14. court — of a king
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. firm — steady

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