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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — for paper
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — there
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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