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: row · plane · patient · pass · stick · rock · perch · rash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — a series
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rock — music

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