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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — a division
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. clip — a video

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