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

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — in golf
  19. current — electric
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — music

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