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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — a path
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — a video
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — thin
  14. content — happy
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — to cut
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bank — for money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. content — the amount
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. net — after costs
  24. bank — for money

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