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: straw · foot · row · bark · pass · board · bound · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — to get on
  4. clip — to cut
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bound — certain
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — obliged
  11. foot — a measure
  12. row — to paddle
  13. clip — for paper
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — a permit
  17. row — a line
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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