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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. net — for catching
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — in sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — thin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — the fruit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. date — on the calendar

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