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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — a path
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. track — a song
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — from a university
  16. scale — in music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — temperature
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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