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 116 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: rash · march · pass · cell · squash · row · bowl · club

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — a line
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cell — in biology
  6. club — a group
  7. rash — a series
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. march — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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