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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — for sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — a stone
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of law
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. march — the month

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