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 · band · club · chair · spring · mug · charge · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mug — a face
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — a leader
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mug — to rob
  15. club — a group
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pop — soda
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for dancing
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — a cup

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