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: leaves · clip · mine · press · pitch · file · rash · sharp

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. clip — for paper
  8. press — newspapers
  9. clip — to cut
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — for digging
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rash — hasty
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. file — a document
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitch — completely

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