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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. court — of a king
  4. degree — an amount
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. march — the month
  8. present — there
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. present — the time now
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. court — of law
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. degree — temperature
  23. court — for sport
  24. march — music

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