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: stick · scale · fall · suit · rash · wound · clip · arm

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — for weighing

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