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: stem · fan · clip · straw · leaves · wake · pass · net

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. clip — a video
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — after costs
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — for catching
  23. clip — for paper
  24. straw — a straw man

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