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: press · swing · clip · pit · firm · temple · band · jam

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. swing — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — steady
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — decided
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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