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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kick — in football
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a friend
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bass — the fish
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — to drop
  22. clip — for paper
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kick — a thrill

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