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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. clip — for paper
  3. object — to protest
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — an aim
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — to crush
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. swing — in golf
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — a thing
  18. roll — a list
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. shower — rain

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