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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. object — to protest
  5. swing — in golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. field — a subject
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. swing — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. field — farmland

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