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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — to come down
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — a series
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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