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: perch · bay · fan · temple · wave · bear · game · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — wild animals
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — to cut
  23. game — a match
  24. bear — the animal

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