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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bat — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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