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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — rain
  10. track — to keep track
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to tire
  13. drill — the tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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