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 120 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: stick · ball · march · clip · prune · spell · face · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — for paper
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — to confront
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. clip — a video
  23. spell — letters
  24. march — music

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