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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — a video
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. land — ground
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — the most important part
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. clip — for paper
  14. land — to come down
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — a country
  20. clip — to cut
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — for a lock
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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