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: face · pass · perch · tube · arm · lash · march · clip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. clip — to cut
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. clip — a video
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — the underground
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. clip — for paper

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