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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — to eat
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rest — a break
  15. club — for dancing
  16. press — to push
  17. pound — a weight
  18. club — for golf
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. clip — a video
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — to cut

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