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: squash · bore · bay · pass · cell · patient · march · rest

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — to tire
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — in a prison
  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