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: suit · dip · rock · club · leaves · clip · rule · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. clip — a video
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — in cards
  7. clip — to cut
  8. club — for golf
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. club — a group
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. last — final
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — for paper

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