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: kick · pound · hide · cap · clip · tear · wake · leaves

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kick — in football
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. clip — a video
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pound — to hit hard

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