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: sharp · ball · lean · fall · content · clip · bass · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lean — thin
  13. content — happy
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — to bend

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