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: dip · lash · wake · last · file · clip · root · pitch

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — final
  5. pitch — completely
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. file — a document
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wake — a trail
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a word
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. last — to go on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. root — the cause
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lash — an eyelash

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