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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — of a river
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — to lash 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