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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — a container
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — the earth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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