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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bass — low music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — to rip

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