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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. staff — employees
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. clip — for paper
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. net — in sport
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. net — for catching
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — on the skin

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