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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bowl — a dish

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