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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — all right
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. track — a path
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fine — high quality

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