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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. clip — for paper
  4. swing — in golf
  5. land — a country
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — a short time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. clip — to cut
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — a stick
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. swing — to play on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — for dancing
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for golf
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — music
  24. clip — a video

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