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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bank — of a river
  10. drill — army training
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — for money
  18. chip — to eat
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wound — an injury

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