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: scale · lash · firm · patient · present · coach · clip · pop

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. clip — a video
  3. present — there
  4. pop — music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. present — the time now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — decided
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pop — to visit
  16. present — a gift
  17. clip — to cut
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — size or range

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