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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — of a river
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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