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: key · clip · club · mine · press · net · firm · bound

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. press — newspapers
  3. club — a group
  4. clip — to cut
  5. club — for dancing
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — in music
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — to push
  23. net — for catching
  24. clip — a video

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