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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — a publisher
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — a law
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — certain
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rule — to rule out

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