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 116 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: cue · race · cap · mouse · clip · saw · land · march

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. land — a country
  3. march — the month
  4. clip — to cut
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — to come down
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. march — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. race — a contest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — the month
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — a signal

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