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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — a gift
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mug — a face
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — in cards
  23. suit — in cards
  24. trunk — of a tree

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