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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. spell — a short time
  16. clip — for paper
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — to confront

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