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 120 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 · fall · clip · can · mate · pass · temple · perch

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — to breed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — a video
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. land — to come down
  20. pass — a permit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — the season

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