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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — all right
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — for paper
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — the season
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spring — of water

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