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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. clip — a video
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. clip — for paper
  8. capital — money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bowl — a football final

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