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: land · fine · patient · clip · plane · swing · squash · pass

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — a video
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pass — a permit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. clip — for paper
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. land — a country
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — all right
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. clip — to cut
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — in golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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