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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — a permit
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. object — to protest
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tube — a container
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. object — an aim
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — a thing
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — a match

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