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: bass · ball · pound · net · cabinet · cap · clip · club

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. clip — a video
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — to cut
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — after costs
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pound — a weight
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cap — a lid
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bass — low 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