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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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