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: chip · clip · firm · root · club · lash · spell · bass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. clip — for paper
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — for golf
  17. firm — steady
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — of a word

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