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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tube — the underground
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — a short time
  17. land — ground
  18. spell — magic
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tube — a container

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