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

Word bank: pass · bass · straw · wound · spell · cap · key · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. spell — letters
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — in music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cap — of ice
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — a line
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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