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 124 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — of the year
  9. game — wild animals
  10. clip — for paper
  11. season — in sport
  12. game — a match
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — a video
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pop — to visit
  24. clip — to cut

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