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: board · pop · spell · pass · bass · mine · fine · squash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — low music
  16. spell — magic
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — belonging to me

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