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: clip · staff · board · wind · wound · fall · tube · temple

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — a committee
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — an injury

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