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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. season — of the year
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. drill — army training
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. march — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — to point toward
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — part of the head
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — a weight
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. face — to confront
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tube — the underground

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