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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. shower — rain
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. row — a line
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. shower — to wash
  12. march — music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — to bear

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