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 116 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: leaves · mug · wave · race · clip · file · squash · bore

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bore — to drill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a face
  9. squash — the sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. mug — a cup
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. file — a document
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. clip — a video

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