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: press · clip · bass · date · safe · wound · rest · file

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. press — to push
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — newspapers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — for paper
  15. file — a tool
  16. clip — a video
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rest — a break
  21. file — a document
  22. clip — to cut
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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