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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ground — a position
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — of water
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. land — a country
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hand — help
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — in cards
  16. clip — for paper
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — crushed
  22. clip — to cut
  23. land — to come down
  24. cue — a signal

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