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: mate · stand · staff · last · pass · bowl · rash · shower

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. last — finally
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rash — hasty
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — to go on
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — final
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. stand — to bear

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