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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. press — to push
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — a grade
  14. press — newspapers
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. press — a publisher
  19. clip — to cut
  20. sharp — clever
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a hat

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