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: clip · arm · lie · net · temple · branch · dip · band

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. clip — a video
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. band — a ring
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. clip — for paper
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. net — after costs
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lie — to recline
  24. band — a rubber band

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