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 · staff · clip · shower · mate · arm · pound · row

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a line
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. row — to paddle
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mate — a partner
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pound — a weight
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mate — to breed

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