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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · track · clip · pop · coach · tube · rock · bark

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pop — soda
  3. tube — a container
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — a path
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — to visit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pop — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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