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: track · fine · clip · bear · mine · bay · hide · club

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. clip — a video
  16. club — a group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bear — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — to cut

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