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 · suit · file · clip · ground · present · bound · straw

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bound — tied together
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — crushed
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. file — a line of people
  19. present — there
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ground — a position

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