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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kid — child
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — there
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — a path
  18. suit — clothes
  19. present — the time now
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — a gift
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

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