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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — in music
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — in football
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. toast — bread
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — to wash
  17. track — a path
  18. spring — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. march — music
  21. spring — the season
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — rain

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