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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. key — the most important part
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — in music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — a cup
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — rain
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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