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: bear · swing · snap · squash · rock · clip · staff · land

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to click
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. swing — in golf
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. clip — for paper
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — music

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