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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — finally
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rest — a break
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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