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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. track — to keep track
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pop — soda
  8. chest — a box
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — a video
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — to visit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — of the sea

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