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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. clip — for paper
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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