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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bass — the fish
  13. clip — a video
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — low music
  24. safe — out of danger

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