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: march · row · saw · pass · wound · game · trunk · vault

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. march — the month
  17. game — a match
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — 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