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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — music
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — the month
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. cold — not warm
  12. march — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ground — a position
  16. march — the month
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ground — the earth
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — to pay attention

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