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: capital · bat · cap · root · saw · clip · bowl · fine

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. capital — money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. capital — a city
  24. fine — all right

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