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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. march — the month
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. toast — bread
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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