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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a document
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — to come from
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. charge — in control
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — for paper
  22. file — a line of people
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fan — to cool the air

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