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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a face
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — to tease
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — the underground
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kid — child
  17. clip — to cut
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of a tree

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