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: season · clip · fine · safe · suit · roll · board · last

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — for paper
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — to get on
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — in sport
  18. suit — to fit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. suit — in cards
  23. roll — a list
  24. last — to go on

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