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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. march — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. march — the month

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