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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. last — final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — the month
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — to recline

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