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: race · clip · suit · trunk · bass · bear · swing · content

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. content — the amount
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — in golf
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — low music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. swing — music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. race — a contest
  24. bear — the animal

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