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: ball · date · can · face · kick · hide · swing · clip

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. clip — a video
  6. face — to confront
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — part of the head
  13. swing — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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