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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. content — happy
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — for paper
  12. season — of the year
  13. clip — to cut
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — a weight
  21. scale — size or range
  22. season — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — to tire

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