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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — a series
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. march — music
  24. drill — army training

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