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 · bound · rush · dip · craft · ball · ground · arm

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — a position
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. bound — tied together
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bound — certain
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — crushed
  16. clip — to cut
  17. dip — to sink
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — to hurry

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