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: cabinet · hide · race · row · clip · jam · bore · fine

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — a video
  3. row — a line
  4. race — humankind
  5. bore — to tire
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fine — all right
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — a contest
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — to paddle

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