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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. march — the month
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. clip — a video
  6. march — music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — letters
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — magic
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — music

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