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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to bend
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wake — a trail
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — a series
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — ground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — to rip

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