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 · pass · clip · bay · coach · arm · degree · mouse

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — a permit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. degree — an amount

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