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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — to cut
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant

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