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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ground — crushed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ground — a position

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