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: arm · bear · pound · clip · stand · bass · file · cue

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bear — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — a video
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. clip — for paper
  19. file — a document
  20. bass — low music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. arm — part of the body

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