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 120 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bass — low music
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. race — humankind
  14. clip — to cut
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — a contest

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