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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — humankind
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mate — a friend
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. race — a contest
  12. fall — the season
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. march — music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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