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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — a skill
  4. clip — for paper
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. clip — to cut
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pass — to succeed
  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