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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · wave · swing · pit · patient · fan · trunk · bank

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. swing — music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  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