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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. press — to push
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mug — a cup
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — a publisher
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. clip — for paper

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