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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pass — a permit
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — the underground
  9. row — a line
  10. land — to come down
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — to go on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — ground

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