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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ball — a dance
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a great time
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fine — high quality
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. clip — for paper
  20. court — of law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — for sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. fine — all right

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