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 · fork · squash · stick · file · arm · clip · season

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. clip — to cut
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. file — a tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — for paper
  24. squash — to crush

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