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: pass · vault · arm · kick · bowl · sharp · net · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. net — after costs
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. clip — for paper
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. clip — a video

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