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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lie — an untruth

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