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 120 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: safe · ruler · snap · present · band · clip · row · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. present — the time now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — a gift
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — there
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — a video
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a music group

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