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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — a permit
  5. field — a subject
  6. race — a contest
  7. last — finally
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — a group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — a line
  16. race — humankind
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. field — farmland
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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