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: pass · bulb · hide · wound · jam · tear · bat · firm

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — a permit
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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