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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — in a road
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — a division
  21. current — electric
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — happening now
  24. clip — to cut

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