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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — bread
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — certain
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a dance
  20. march — music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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