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: pass · chair · swing · wound · ground · bowl · foot · clip

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — a video
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — the earth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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