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 116 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 · cue · squash · stock · pit · row · tube · fall

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. tube — a container
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. clip — to cut
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. row — a line
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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