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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — a gift
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a line
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pound — a weight
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — there
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — the time now
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — to paddle

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