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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — a box
  5. march — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — a song
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a path
  24. lean — thin

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