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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. march — music
  18. chest — a box
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — all right
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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