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

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — a container
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — final
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. mine — for digging
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. land — ground

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