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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — the month
  13. present — there
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — to paddle
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — a gift
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. row — a quarrel

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