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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. clip — a video
  3. march — music
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — to protest
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — a thing
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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