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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cell — a phone
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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