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 120 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: swing · firm · object · dip · clip · arm · net · spring

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. swing — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — for paper
  5. object — to protest
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — a thing
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. net — for catching
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — after costs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. spring — a coil
  20. clip — to cut
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. swing — in golf
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — part of the body

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