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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. object — to protest
  5. march — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — the animal

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