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

Word bank: mark · pass · bass · perch · prune · rash · coach · clip

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. clip — to cut
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. clip — a video
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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