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: pop · file · degree · clip · bowl · lash · firm · club

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. firm — steady
  4. club — for dancing
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. clip — a video
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. clip — for paper
  12. file — a tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. pop — to visit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pop — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pop — soda
  21. club — a group
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — decided

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