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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — a jug

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