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: bowl · jam · net · bound · tear · foot · mug · clip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — in sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — a measure
  17. clip — for paper
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. clip — a video
  24. net — for catching

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