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 · bound · pound · wind · stem · clip · jam · arm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — obliged
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — tied together
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. arm — a part of something

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