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: wound · clip · mark · ball · stock · swing · court · mate

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. ball — a dance
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. court — of a king
  10. clip — to cut
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stock — shares
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — a trace

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