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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — in football
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. clip — to cut

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