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: fan · lash · wound · mate · clip · mine · staff · bay

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a partner

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