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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. file — a tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — ground
  15. file — a line of people
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. current — happening now
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — of water
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. nail — on a finger

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