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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cold — an illness
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bass — low music
  5. fine — all right
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cold — not warm
  8. vault — a safe
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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