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're almost out of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — decided
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — the season
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — music
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tube — a container
  24. march — music

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