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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · wave · track · bound · season · present

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. present — there
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bound — tied together
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — of the year
  18. clip — to cut

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