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: file · kick · clip · sharp · pound · object · suit · bat

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a document
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pound — a weight
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — an aim
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — in football
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a tool
  22. clip — a video
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — in cards

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