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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. clip — a video
  5. land — to come down
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — electric
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — happening now
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — after costs
  18. clip — for paper
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — a company
  22. current — of water
  23. net — for catching
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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