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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. swing — in golf
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. swing — to play on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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