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: content · row · pass · stem · trunk · rule · march · drill

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. march — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — the amount
  10. rule — government
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. row — a line
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. content — happy
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — of a plant

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