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: nail · bass · trunk · pass · mate · root · wound · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — the cause
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bass — the fish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend time

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