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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a committee
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. board — to get on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kid — child
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — a young animal

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