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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. march — music
  4. chest — a box
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

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