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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pop — soda
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — clever

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