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: bear · face · clip · present · sharp · mate · cell · safe

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cell — in biology
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. cell — a phone
  6. clip — a video
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. mate — a friend
  11. clip — for paper
  12. present — the time now
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bear — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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