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: capital · pop · face · pound · wind · tube · cue · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — to cut
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tube — the underground
  13. capital — money
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — a city
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to confront
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cue — a hint
  24. capital — a big letter

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