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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — obliged
  7. race — a contest
  8. march — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. race — humankind
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — a tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. tear — to rip
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — tied together
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bound — certain
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — to be able to

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