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: clip · mine · mate · rest · wind · swing · kick · cap

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wind — moving air
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — a friend
  18. clip — a video
  19. mate — to breed
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — in football
  24. mine — an explosive

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