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: ball · hand · pass · stand · pop · bark · march · suit

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. march — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a dance

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