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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. clip — a video
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — to visit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pop — soda
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. spring — of water
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — music
  24. wind — moving air

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