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: bay · land · pass · foot · stock · track · jam · clip

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. land — ground
  5. stock — goods
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. land — a country
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — a video
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stock — shares
  22. clip — to cut
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — a measure

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