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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — an aim
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. file — a document
  12. object — to protest
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rest — what's left

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