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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — to fit
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — to rip
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — from a university
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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