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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — a video
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — in football
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. suit — to fit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — a thrill

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