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: swing · pound · clip · tear · trunk · lean · firm · bound

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lean — thin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to bend
  10. clip — to cut
  11. firm — decided
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — certain
  17. firm — steady
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tear — from crying

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