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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pop — music
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — to visit
  9. file — a document
  10. board — to get on
  11. pop — soda
  12. file — a tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. clip — to cut
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — a flat piece

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