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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — a container
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — for pool
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cue — a signal
  12. march — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — steady
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — decided
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — the month

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