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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. press — a publisher
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. roll — a cake
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — to recline
  10. roll — a list
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. press — to push
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. clip — for paper
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — newspapers

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