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 116 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: clip · kick · object · bass · lean · staff · mug · hand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. clip — a video
  6. mug — a cup
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. lean — to bend
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lean — thin
  13. kick — in football
  14. clip — to cut
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — a face
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hand — help
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — low 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