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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. board — a committee
  6. clip — a video
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — to visit
  13. clip — for paper
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. clip — to cut
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mark — a trace
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. club — a group

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