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: rest · clip · foot · suit · pass · fan · club · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. clip — a video
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — in sport
  13. club — a group
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for golf
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rest — a break
  24. foot — a measure

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