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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bank — for money
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — of a river
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — an explosive

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