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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. game — a match
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pop — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to click
  18. fork — in a road
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. march — the month
  24. pop — soda

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