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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — a song
  4. row — to paddle
  5. clip — a video
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — to cut
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — in football
  23. fine — high quality
  24. arm — part of the body

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