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: bound · cold · content · swing · leaves · game · clip · safe

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — for paper
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bound — obliged
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. content — the amount
  16. cold — not warm
  17. game — a match
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. clip — to cut
  24. swing — to play on

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