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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. drill — the tool
  3. clip — a video
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — army training
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rest — what's left
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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