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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stock — shares
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — goods
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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