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: clip · bear · bay · last · straw · cue · branch · leaves

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — the animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. clip — to cut
  15. last — finally
  16. cue — a hint
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — a video
  23. branch — a division
  24. last — final

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