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: bear · bowl · clip · fine · mate · straw · nail · track

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. clip — a video
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — for paper
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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