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 · sharp · swing · lash · cabinet · safe · ball · present

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ball — a dance
  3. clip — a video
  4. swing — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — the time now
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. swing — in golf
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — exactly

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