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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — size or range

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