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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — the time now
  20. clip — to cut
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a path
  23. clip — for paper
  24. season — of the year

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