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: drill · file · vault · roll · clip · cap · club · suit

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — in cards
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — a safe
  8. drill — army training
  9. roll — a list
  10. clip — to cut
  11. file — a tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — a group
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — for paper
  16. club — for dancing
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. roll — a cake

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