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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — for sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of law
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — to come down
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — to visit
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — a country
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — a supporter

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