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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — thin
  3. clip — a video
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. clip — for paper
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to bend
  24. land — ground

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