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: band · clip · stick · wave · charge · lash · roll · arm

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. charge — in control
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. roll — a list
  16. clip — a video
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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