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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — a permit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a ring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. land — ground
  14. kick — in football
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — a trail

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