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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — music
  3. last — finally
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. last — final
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — music
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — in a race
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — to confront

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