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: track · pass · squash · pitcher · nail · wound · clip · craft

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the sport
  13. clip — to cut
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. clip — for paper
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. clip — a video
  21. track — a song
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. track — to keep track

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