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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. clip — a video
  3. chest — a box
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — crushed
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — in music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — what's left
  23. clip — for paper
  24. ground — the earth

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