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: toast · rock · snap · bound · can · season · clip · track

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — bread
  13. track — a path
  14. clip — for paper
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — of the year
  19. clip — a video
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rock — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — obliged

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