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: degree · bank · lie · straw · content · fall · object · clip

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — an aim
  4. fall — the season
  5. content — the amount
  6. clip — for paper
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fall — to drop
  17. clip — a video
  18. content — happy
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — to recline
  24. degree — temperature

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