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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — on a finger

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