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: track · tube · bark · fine · clip · tear · stick · ball

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tear — to rip
  3. track — a path
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a song
  9. tear — from crying
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tube — a container
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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