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: hide · branch · current · row · clip · mine · jam · ball

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mine — for digging
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. clip — for paper
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a dance
  24. branch — a division

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