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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. row — to paddle
  7. land — a country
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. land — to come down
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — in music
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — a break
  19. land — ground
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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