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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — for sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. clip — to cut
  9. land — a country
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — for paper
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — a video
  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