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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — hasty
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. clip — to cut
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — a series
  18. roll — a list
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. clip — for paper
  24. jam — a tight spot

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