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 120 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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — low music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — certain

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