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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — in sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. band — a ring
  13. last — to go on
  14. season — of the year
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a music group
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — the underground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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