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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · season · cell · row · rock · saw · pop · pass

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. rock — music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. season — in sport
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — of the year
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cell — in a prison
  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