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: pop · row · rash · pass · nail · fine · track · march

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. march — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a path
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — soda
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — to paddle

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