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: racket · row · cap · wound · can · pass · rash · hand

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pass — a permit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — a series

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