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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fall — the season
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. file — a document
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a tool

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