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 120 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: rash · hand · spring · pound · lie · clip · swing · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rash — a series
  4. spring — a coil
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spring — the season
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — of water
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — in cards
  16. swing — music
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hand — help
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — a weight

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