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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rock — music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. band — a ring
  16. mine — for digging
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. content — the amount

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