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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. pop — soda
  10. last — finally
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. last — final
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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