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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. clip — a video
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. clip — to cut
  8. board — a committee
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — to get on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tear — from crying
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a ring
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — the cause
  24. press — to push

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