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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — a video
  3. last — to go on
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. last — final
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. season — of the year
  15. club — a group
  16. last — finally
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. straw — dry grass

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