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: mate · clip · lean · bay · tear · bark · track · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lean — to bend
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a song
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — to keep track

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