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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — a container
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to sink
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bass — the fish

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