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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — all right
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — a container
  5. present — the time now
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — there
  12. fine — high quality
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — a gift
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. game — a match
  24. stem — of a plant

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