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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cue — a hint
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — a signal
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cue — for pool
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — a young animal

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