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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. clip — a video
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bass — low music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. snap — to click
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. clip — to cut
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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