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: cabinet · bass · wound · clip · swing · plane · kid · racket

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bass — the fish
  7. plane — a tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. clip — a video
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bass — low music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. racket — a loud noise

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