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: dip · race · racket · suit · present · clip · spell · roll

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. clip — for paper
  4. roll — a list
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. race — a contest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — clothes
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — a video
  16. present — there
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spell — letters
  20. present — a gift
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — the time now

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