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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. clip — a video
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a line
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. roll — a list
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. clip — for paper
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. roll — a cake
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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