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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. season — in sport
  3. clip — to cut
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — soda
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pop — music
  11. mark — a trace
  12. clip — a video
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mark — a grade
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — to visit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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