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 · clip · pass · field · game · kick · dip · object

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — to sink
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — a match
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. clip — a video
  13. game — wild animals
  14. swing — to play on
  15. field — farmland
  16. swing — in golf
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. field — a subject
  19. kick — in football
  20. clip — for paper
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. swing — music
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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