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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. current — electric
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — happening now
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pass — to spend time

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