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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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