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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — a permit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. roll — a list
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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