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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — certain
  7. swing — music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. track — a path
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — a song
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — of water
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. track — to keep track
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — a cake
  24. swing — in golf

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