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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — tied together
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — ground
  7. march — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — rain
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — to rest against

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