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 · rule · sharp · coach · mouse · ball · plane · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. swing — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — a video
  11. rule — government
  12. swing — in golf
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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