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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — a video
  4. sharp — clever
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — a container
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — in sport
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — the underground
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — a permit
  24. file — a document

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