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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — a permit
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — a weight
  24. last — finally

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