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: clip · dip · nail · track · fall · squash · kid · wound

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — to cut
  14. kid — to tease
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — the season
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a song

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