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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. march — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — to dunk

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