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: pass · craft · season · object · clip · straw · band · ball

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. clip — to cut
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a music group
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — of the year
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. band — a rubber band

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