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: stand · key · hand · wake · bass · track · pit · clip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. track — a song
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. clip — a video
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — to bear
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — to keep track

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