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 · bore · lean · rule · mate · cue · clip · face

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — a law
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lean — thin
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bore — to drill

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