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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — on a finger

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