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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — child
  7. march — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a committee
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to tire
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — to tease
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. march — the month
  24. bore — gave birth

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