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: bay · content · swing · pass · mate · bark · rush · clip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — a friend
  8. clip — a video
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. clip — for paper
  12. content — happy
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — in golf
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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