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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kick — in football
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — in cards
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — part of the body

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