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: saw · racket · pitch · bass · clip · fan · track · rule

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. pitch — completely
  3. clip — a video
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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