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: clip · wind · bound · pop · pitcher · pit · firm · kid

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — a video
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — certain
  9. kid — child
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a hole

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