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 · lean · fan · land · vault · swing · mate · ruler

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. clip — a video
  9. land — to come down
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. swing — to play on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. land — a country
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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