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 120 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: tube · stem · dip · present · band · clip · plane · staff

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. clip — a video
  3. present — a gift
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. band — a music group
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. clip — to cut
  19. dip — to sink
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — the time now
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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