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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — a price
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — in control
  18. coach — a trainer

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