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: bound · pitch · kid · stock · rest · clip · deal · temple

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — a video
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — shares
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kid — child
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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