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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. clip — for paper
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — in music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — the season

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