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: clip · mark · swing · stand · snap · firm · fall · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — steady
  9. clip — for paper
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to click
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — a video
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fall — the season

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